Housekeeping staff at a Dublin care home are to set to proceed with strike action on Wednesday after talks with management at the Workplace Relations Commission broke down without a resolution.About 20 staff at St Joseph’s nursing home in Shankill are seeking to be regraded as a result of what they say is a significant evolution in the roles they perform at the centre, which provides specialist dementia care on a residential, day and respite basis. The jobs, they contend, now include a considerable element of care work.The dispute has been ongoing for a number of years but has come to a head in recent months, with staff voting for industrial action and their union, Siptu, scheduling six stoppage days, with two due to take place next week and three the week after that.“It is deeply disappointing that management failed to offer a proposal that Siptu could bring back to our members,” said the union’s health division organiser, Michelle Waller.“This is an absolute last resort. Our members are carers by nature and profession and do not take this upcoming action lightly. Siptu remains open to talks and we are still hopeful that management will put forward a resolution soon.”Management at the facility, which is part of the St John of God group, said it was “disappointed that the conciliation process has concluded without agreement at this stage … Throughout this process, St Joseph’s Centre has sought to engage constructively and in good faith with Siptu and its members in an effort to reach a fair, practical and workable resolution”. “It is therefore regrettable that Siptu now intends to proceed with strike action on Wednesday. Our immediate priority remains the safety, care and wellbeing of residents and colleagues. Contingency arrangements are in place to support continuity of essential services, maintain safe operations and minimise disruption for residents, day-care members, families, colleagues and visitors.”Management said it “greatly values the contribution of all colleagues, including our household and domestic teams, whose work is an important part of daily life in the centre. We remain committed to constructive engagement and are available to re-engage with Siptu through the appropriate industrial relations channels at any time where there is scope to progress a resolution.”[ Volunteering and dementia: ‘They won’t want to speak to you every time, that’s not realistic’Opens in new window ]